For the first time in its 54-year history, Notting Hill Carnival will be going online and Spotify has been named as the official 2020 partner.
Taking place through the August bank holiday weekend (August 29-31), Notting Hill Carnival: Access All Areas will be livestreamed online.
A Spotify microsite will also launch in August, spotlighting the carnival’s cultural importance in the UK with new playlists curated by the official sound systems and DJs of the carnival.
Podcast episodes will also feature exploring the carnival’s history, and the issues facing the Black community, while playlists such as dancehall, reggae, soca and afrobeat will see a guest takeover.
The experience was filmed over a month, and will feature bands and members of the carnival community including Volcano, Gaz’s Rockin Blues, Ms Desire, Brown Sugar, Panash, Pan Nation, The Bride Outreach, Ebony Mas and many more in partnership with Let’s Go Do.
Executive director of Notting Hill Carnival, Matthew Phillip, said: “This year we faced the ultimate challenge of being unable to gather on the streets to celebrate our Carnival. But, now, more than ever, it’s important to keep the spirit of Notting Hill Carnival alive, giving an outlet to the thousands of people that spend all year creating incredible costumes and music for Europe’s largest event.
“Carnival is such an important part of people's lives and key celebration of the multiculturalism of the UK, and we have a responsibility to our community and pioneers to honour that. We also have a responsibility to protect the black community and our elders by respecting social distancing and taking Carnival away from the streets for this year. So this is a fantastic solution for 2020.
“We may not be able to celebrate together on the streets as usual, but we can all come together to celebrate one of the UK’s great cultural events online.”
More information on the event can be found here.
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